“The problem for Dioufy was that he forgot she had already died once when he mentioned it the second time!

“If Dioufy didn’t have to do exercise, I am sure she would never have died at all!”

“You have got to be flexible. In today’s world, you have to look at what players need or what they want. Missing a day’s training for a valid reason is neither here or there at this stage of the season.

“We just have to get Duncan focussed on the game. It would have been a bit harder if his graduation had been on a Friday, the day before a game.

First class: Duncan Watmore in his graduation garb

“But there are times when it cannot be avoided. When I was at West Ham, Yom Kippur meant that you could not select (Jewish) players that day. You just have to accept that but that is a rarity.”

Former Bradford City and Leeds United central defender David Wetherall is the only other Premier League footballer to have earned a First Class degree, completing his chemistry studies at Sheffield University.